Act

Below are some ideas and activities that we’ve collected from people and organizations that support the Campaign. These actions are organized around the Campaign’s values and many use the poem and ITE/MH poem cards. We hope these will inspire you to act on the Campaign’s values and celebrate mental health recovery in your community.
If you have ideas to add to this ever-growing list of actions, please contact us at info@itecampaign.org. As a grassroots initiative, the Campaign grows stronger and reaches further when everyone’s voice is heard.

Share Your Belief

• Join ITE/MH as an Ambassador.
• As people enter services, during intake, provide them with information about mental health recovery and the Campaign, including a one page description about ITE/MH. Encourage them to join as Ambassadors.
• Integrate ITE/MH into community outreach activities—e.g. Mental Health Walks (as a theme or as a team), Health Fairs.
• Encourage local mental health providers or organizations to join ITE/MH.
• Follow us on Facebook and encourage others to as well.
• Organize an ITE/MH creative event.

Inspire Hope

• Highlight how someone has exemplified acting to inspire Hope in their life, work, or community.
• Hold an ITE celebration to recognize others on their recovery journey—schedule them regularly – weekly, monthly, semi-annually
• Use the ITE poem to begin a group meeting as a reminder that recovery happens and that we can all support others on their recovery journey.
• Read the ITE/MH poem at the end of mental health first aid trainings.
• Reach out to individuals involved with support groups, such as those effected by domestic abuse.

Give

• Give an ITE poem pocket card when you see someone acting on the Campaign’s values. This could be someone you know, or it could be someone at random within your community.
• Frame an ITE Print and give it to someone to display in their office or home as a visual reminder of the values and their acting on the values.

Connect with Others

• When you see someone being the Evidence, acting of the values, let them know. Use the term “evidence.” Ex. “The way you took the time to listen and really connect with Patty, you were the evidence of how to support someone in their recovery.”
• Work with staff of psychiatric rehabilitation providers to add the Campaign as a resource and add Campaign materials to the tools already in use at these programs.
• Establish ITE clubs on college campuses.
• Share the Campaign materials with the Intellectual Disability community.
• Connect with Veteran’s groups and share the positive messages of the Campaign.
• Present graduates of various programs an ITE recognition, such as those completing Certified Peer Specialist training and people moving from residential programs into own home.

Be the Example

• Share Your Story—Use the poem and values to guide telling your recovery story, either written or in a presentation, and encouraging others to tell theirs
• Include an article about the ITE/MH Campaign in your organization or group newsletter or social media site. Highlight a value and the importance of this in a person’s recovery
• Identify church leaders, employers, and landlords who are already the Evidence to partner with an Ambassador and communicate ITE/MH values to others in their respective circles.
• Recognize businesses, community leaders, and landlords who are the Evidence.

Encourage

• Start a group meeting with introductions that include:
  • I’m the Evidence because…
  • Today I will focus on being the Evidence by paying attention and acting on the value of [ITE Value]
• Watch for others acting on the values and take the time to acknowledge and thank them for this
• Offer ITE/MH Campaign information at local drop-in centers and partial programs
• Encourage elected officials to become involved in the Campaign.
• Encourage individuals to join as Ambassadors and use the cards.
• Introduce ITE/MH at a town hall meeting and invite local officials, leaders, hospitals, and police departments.

Take One Step to act on the Campaign values—belief, hope, giving, connectedness, action, example, encouragement, and possibility—in all you do!